Learning You Love Me
by Doggerwolf
Summary: Barchie oneshot. Rated M for sex. No flames, please.


Elizabeth Cooper is alone. Her mom is out with her friends, leaving Betty to a quiet and empty house. Now she sits at the desk in her bedroom at 8pm, trying desperately to focus on getting her math homework done. However, her mind keeps going back to something else. She can't stop thinking about her breakup with Jughead.

Betty honestly did love him. He was so protective and sweet to her, and then he joined the Serpents. As soon as that happened, she felt the two of them drifting further and further apart. Soon it came to the point where she barely saw him at all, and he would just say hi, peck her on the lips or cheek, and just walk off. Although it had hurt her then, nothing could have prepared her for the breakup.

When she arrived at Jughead's trailer, she said that she simply couldn't take this any longer and that it would be best if they parted ways. How the Serpents were pulling them apart and that she was emotionally unable stay around for this to continue. Jughead didn't take it well. He had started yelling, throwing things around the trailer, and eventually told her to 'get the fuck out'. And she did, but not without tears running down her cheeks.

That was two months ago. Now whenever Betty thinks about it, she can't help not crying. It is something she will never want to see again. To see someone show so much rage as Jughead did that afternoon. That was when Archie had started to spend more time with her. He and Veronica had just ended their relationship, and he immediately knew what it felt like for Betty, his friend since childhood. They would often hang out at Pop's or at each other's house, either working on homework or joking around. It had almost felt like things were starting to go back to how they used to be: just the two of them together.

She has just finished her homework just before realizing how hot it is tonight, and is walking into the kitchen to get a soda when she hears scratching coming from the front door. She immediately smiles, almost knowing who is going to be on the other side of the door as she opens it.

"Hello, Vegas," she coos, bending down to scratch the Yellow Labrador's ear. "What are you doing out here?" Vegas starts to lick Betty's face, causing her to laugh. Just then, she hears a voice, causing Vegas to turn his head.

"Vegas!" She knows who it is. Archie reaches her doorstep and kneels to pet his dog. "I'm sorry, Ms. Cooper, has my dog disturbed your evening?" He smirks.

Betty grins. "My question, Mr. Andrews, is what are you doing wearing jeans in tonight's heat?"

He laughs. "Shut up, Betts. Say, wanna come over? My dad's on a business trip, and he wouldn't mind at all if I have you over."

"Sure," she says enthusiastically.

* * *

They both hold a Coke in their hand while Vegas snores in his sleep nearby.

"Aw, he's so cute when he sleeps, Arch," Betty says, taking a sip of her drink. He laughs.

"Yeah, sometimes he even barks in his sleep," he says.

They continue to talk and joke with each other when Betty realizes that she has to say something and puts her drink down on the table.

"Arch?"

"Hmm?"

"I really want to say...thank you for taking care of me over these past two months."

He also lays his Coke down before scooting closer to her and throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Hey, what are friends for? You've helped me out before, and why not return the favor?"

She chuckles. "Yeah." That's when she feels his breath splash across her ear. She turns to see his face just inches away. "Arch..."

"Betty..."

He closes the gap with their lips meeting in the middle. Betty feels her heart race in her chest. His lips are warm and soft. It feels much different from whenever she would kiss Jughead, who was not as passionate with his kisses. This one, on the other hand, is filled with more passion than she had ever felt in his life. Her hand makes its way to the back of his neck as his snakes its way around her waist.

When they run out of air, they pull away. "Wow," she breathes, causing him to smile.

"I've been waiting to do that for years," he whispers.

Those words make her want to cry. This time she's the one who starts the kiss, causing him to pull her up off the ground and begin to take her up the stairs.

* * *

They're on his bed, kissing furiously. His lips suddenly roam away from her mouth and along her jaw and neck. She gasps quietly as his mouth pulls on her skin. Somehow she would need to cover that up for tomorrow. But she's not focused on that now. Right now, she was focused on what was going to happen soon.

He has pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular body. He starts to unbutton her shirt while he nips at her neck. Slowly, she helps him slide it off and it joins his shirt on the ground. He peels his jeans off, leaving him only in his boxers. She can the bulge, and it only makes her feel even more heated.

Placing a hand on her back, he gently pulls her up so she's sitting. His lips pressed into her shoulder, he removes her bra. She feels it fall from her chest before she cautiously slips off her underwear. Falling back on the bed, completely exposed, she sees that Archie had removed his boxers. Her face flushes.

He looks so mesmerized by what he's seeing. "You're so beautiful." He immediately falls back on top of her and starts to pepper her face with kisses. Betty feels such relief from hearing these words from him.

He reaches over to the drawer, searching for protection, but his face falls. "I don't have any condoms."

Betty considers this for a moment, but she immediately chooses not to worry, reaching up to hold his cheek. "I don't care about protection. All I care about right now is you."

He seems to contemplate this for a moment, and then kisses her lips softly. "You ready?" he whispers.

She nods.

Slowly, he enters her.

She inhales sharply. She has only had sex with Jughead once, shortly before he joined the Serpents. She's hurting a little, and this is somehow clear to Archie, who looks very alarmed.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"I'm fine, Arch," she says. "Keep going."

With some concern still visible on his face, he does as she says, going slow and being rather gentle. She continues to breathe heavily, still shocked by the fact that Archie Andrews, her neighbor, her best friend, was now on top of her and making love to her. His eyes bore down into hers, and she looks back up into his. In those warm brown eyes, she sees a fire, one full of passion and excitement. One that makes her heart race faster than ever in her life. She feels her body go numb and still as she reaches her climax. She whimpers, and Archie bends down, causing their foreheads to touch. She takes it that he has reached his peak as well.

"_Betty_..."

"_Arch_..."

She is now grasping the bedsheets in her small hand, which he gently grabs hold of with his rather large one while he goes stiff as she feels him release his seed while she comes as well. He falls on top of her, giving her a deep kiss before collapsing his head on her chest, both of them breathing heavily.

"I love you," they say in unison.

* * *

"When did you realize that you love me?" he asks, looking down at her while his thumb glides along her cheek. The lamp in his room casts a gold light across his face and his red hair.

"Probably when we were in the seventh grade," she answers, slowly grabbing his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers. "I mean, I already had a bit of a crush on you when we were growing up, but by that time, I always felt happy around you and looked forward to walking home together and...I guess I just, had that feeling. Well, when did _you _realize you love me?"

He gives a soft smile before lifting her hand to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles and then pulling her up against him. "When we were freshmen. I remember when we were walking home, and we were joking around when I heard you laugh. And I remember that when I got home, the sound of you laughing just kept ringing in my ears. And then something inside me said that I was going to hear that for the rest of my life." His body heat warms her. "But then I guess I probably figured that you wouldn't feel the same about me at all, and then I met Veronica and she kind of distracted me from that feeling, since I actually felt like I loved her." He looks down at her. "And I'm guessing that you felt the same with Jughead, huh?"

She nods. "I really thought that there was no hope when you fell for Veronica. And with Jughead, I didn't feel as depressed when I was around the two of you."

Archie kisses the top of her head. "But you know that I love you now, don't you?"

Betty chuckles softly. "Yes, and I love you too."

He smiles before kissing her lips once more.


End file.
